KneeHapp textile: A smart textile system for rehabilitation of knee injuries

Abstract

Patients of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury engage in a set of rehabilitation exercises to recover mobility and strength of their injured leg. We developed a smart bandage and user interface that provides live feedback to patients while exercising and computes a series of performance metrics used by orthopedists for assessment of the patient's recovery. The bandage uses smart textile components such as elastic conductive threads and snap buttons. We discuss how the smart textile components contribute to desirable properties of the bandage, such as robustness, washability and user comfort. Furthermore, we present a technique for calibrating the motion sensors on the bandage which is suitable for patients of ACL with limited mobility. Finally, we present the results of a controlled experiment with 10 patients with the goal to assess the accuracy of the bandage's measurements.